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Avery's antics spark immediate reaction

ERIC DUHATSCHEK

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 10:36 PM EDT 14/04/08

Rangers forward prompts swift, unexpected response ...Read the full article

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  1. graham g from Canada writes: How about 5 minutes for playing without a brain? But of course that would include to many players.
  2. Sev Scott from Cowtown, Canada writes: Wow, talk about bringing the game into disrepute. The reason why it has never happened before (or in any other sport that I can think of) is that it violates the spirit of the game, and every hockey player in the world, save Avery, is aware of this fact. What is next for Avery, to make funny faces to cause Marty to laugh?????
  3. Logic is full of Epic Win from Canada writes: CBC got it right (Ron and Kelly) on the broadcast last night:

    From the NHL's website (http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule41.html)

    Rule 41(g)
    A misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player who persists in any course of conduct (including threatening or abusive language or gestures or similar actions) designed to incite an opponent into incurring a penalty.

    If, after the assessment of a misconduct penalty, a player persists in any course of conduct for which he was previously assessed a misconduct penalty, he shall be assessed a game misconduct penalty.

    ------

    So essentially, it's a 10 minute penalty to the player, but no power play. If they persist, it's a game misconduct. Simple.
  4. Devil Bud from T.O., Canada writes: Until the league does something like send a directive, or make a rule, then it is completely legal. Last time I checked, it was the playoffs and with all the people whining and complaining about "too many penalties being called", now they're crying for a penalty to be created. Avery plays the pest to perfection, but has also potted a couple, so those that write him off as a bad hockey player are delusional. Unlike many other "pests" in the league, this guy is a complete hockey player as well. Maybe some players on some of the teams that are down 2-0 should take a few pages from Avery's book and do whatever it takes to pester opposing stars and goalies. Can't criticize the guy for doing his part in trying to win.
  5. Sober Second Thought from Toronto, Canada writes: I thought it was pretty creative and daring and I laughed! I can't believe nobody has tried that before, however, once is enough. New Jersey should have just send Colin White in the crease to wipe Avery up after that!
  6. Chadwick Minh from Canada writes:
    How about two minutes for unsportsman like conduct? Seems cut and dried to me.

    The Devils are really missing Scot Stevens. I can't see antics like that going on if he was still on the blueline.
  7. Garrett Nicolai from Regina, Canada writes: It reminded me of the game we've all played as kids, where you move your hands around the other person, all the while chanting "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you". Granted, it wasn't the most dignified hockey play, but it was fun to watch. As for a misconduct for "plays meant to incite a penalty from the other player", what about goalies who are playing their sticks in rather sensitive areas?
  8. Erik D. from Ottawa, Canada writes: Desperate actions by a desperate team.
  9. Frank Smith from Ontario, Canada writes: Ah, NOT simple "Logic" ... you are being as dismissive as Ron and Kelly were. Was Avery trying to "incite an opponent into incurring a penalty"? No, he was he just trying to distract Brodeur. Sober and Chadwick have it right.

    Ron MacLean sounded like Don Cherry and like every other arrogant referee with his "I'm a referee, you're not, so I'm right" attitude.
  10. Andrew Bisson from Ottawa, Canada writes: Posters - What would Colin White or Scott Stevens do? Risk getting a two minute or five minute penalty?
    Pests rule the new NHL. Holmstrom can sit at the top of the crease and no one will do anything about it.
    If this was even five years ago, a defenceman would have grabbed Avery and pummelled him. But with the instigator and coaches' obsessive compulsiveness about drawing a penalty, Avery, Ruutu, Cooke, Ott and all get to do whatever they want out there, to whoever they want.
    I think it's great that Bettman can rule so fast on this issue but sit idly by for years while players continue to get hurt on touch icings.
  11. M Warren from Ottawa, Canada writes: Avery was an innovator on this one. There was nothing illegal done. It was interesting & funny.
  12. andy c from Canada writes: marty should have pulled a belfour and start chopping at his legs
  13. Frank Smith from Canada writes: Desperate team? They were up 2-0 in the series, not down 2-0. Dumb comment.
  14. W R from Stratford, PE, Canada writes: He was just screening the goaltender in a new way. Given all the edges now given to netminders (oversized equipment, no checking outside the crease, ignoring the no play zone, small nets) getting the goalie mentally upset is just about the only thing left for an attacker to do.
  15. Logic is full of Epic Win from Canada writes: >>Frank Smith from Ontario, Canada writes: Ah, NOT simple "Logic" ... you are being as dismissive as Ron and Kelly were. Was Avery trying to "incite an opponent into incurring a penalty"? No, he was he just trying to distract Brodeur. Sober and Chadwick have it right. <<

    It seems simple to me though... since neither of us, nor the referee "know" what Avery was thinking, then rules applied based on past precedent should guide the referee. Billy Smith, Hextall and almost any goalie who had that done to them long enough, would slash or rough Avery, would would be a penalty.

    Don't give Avery the 'glory' of having a rule made just because of him. Look to NFL football. Defenders can try to intercept a ball thrown to the receiver, but are not permitted to wild wave their hands without looking for the ball as it comes in.

    Perhaps Brodeur should have walked into Avery's stick so Avery would a high sticking penalty?

    Essentially pests have a role to do, yes. But don't bring 10 year olds' street hockey tactics into the NHL.
  16. steven cooke from Toronto, Canada writes: It is long past due that the league do something about the odious creature known as Sean Avery. He is an embarassment to the game, if not the human race. Better that the league and its officials take care of him than someone decides to use frontier justice to teach him a lesson. He has no honour and no class. Let's not forget the list of other indiscretions towards a Black player and to a cancer survivor amongst others. I would also hold the candle to Tom Renney. In case you've forgotten: he was the one who after Mark Messier sadistically speared a hockey player not only condoned but celebrated his assault describing it that of a wily veteran teaching a young player how it's done. I suppose the same argument could have been made of gang leaders in our cities settling a score (though Messier's actions were pre-emptive rather than reactive). I am happy to see that Ron Maclean and Kelly Hrudey and now Gary Bettman recognize that there is no room in the sport for the sort of behaviour exhibited by Avery against Brodeur and throughout his career. It is one thing to use speed, skill and toughness to upset another player; to flout the rules and disprect the sport and its players is another. Let's suspend him and Renney. The sport and its fans will be the beneficiary.
  17. Dana Cruickshank from Canada writes: Avery is just doing his job. I don't particularily like him, but hes playing his role, thats why hes in the NHL.

    What he did was unsportsmanlike, and possibly illegal under the current rule book.

    What if he was just using his hands and trying to screen brodeur with them? Is that illegal?
  18. Frank Smith from Canada writes: Agreed "Logic" that no one knows what Avery was thinking ... and give Brodeur credit for not taking the bait. Give Avery 2 minutes as Chadwick suggested and, when the Devils score on the ensuing power play, Avery's antics will get addressed very quickly by Shanhan et al in the Rangers' dressing room.

    As for Ron MacLean as his arrogance about bringing the game into disrepute ... get a grip Ronny boy!! Things like steroid use bring the game into disrepute, not Avery and his tactics. Avery deserves credit for doing exactly what he's best at ... being a pest ... and YOU did take the bait Ron!!
  19. Norman Petit from Calgary, Canada writes: Avery's behaviour was an embarassment to the sport. He behaved like the kid who never made it off the pond and into a league but managed to skate around on his ankles and slash everybody he could get into range of. It did the sport a disservice.
  20. John Gallant from Charlottetown, Canada writes: Peters in Buffalo got a misconduct for pretending to take a golf swing while mocking the Leafs last year. The referee should have given Avery an unsportsmanlike misconduct just like Peters.
  21. Sean O'Reilly from Canada writes: Its real sad we through attention at this man child, and laud him for being creative. The NHL is the only place where this type of individual is celebrated.

    His actions were childish and in poor spirit of the game.

    The violence of this game is a direct result of these types of players not being held accountable for their action, and then you get Bertuzzi like incident and everyone wonders how it gets there.
  22. Ziad Fazel from Calgary, Canada writes: Where are Patrick Roy (and his son) and Ron Hextall when you need them?! Avery would still be in surgery now, getting certain body parts sewn back on.
  23. Open Mike from Canada writes: This is a perfect example of the principle that bad cases make bad law. What Avery did was entirely legal (and imo creative and funny, a little piece of the movie 'Slapshot' brought to real life) and to formulate a special law to prevent this kind of goalie distraction the NHL then has to define how it is different from the current goalie-screening methods its teams employ. If the NHL brings in an Avery Rule, will it mean that every time Ryan Smith or Thomas Holmstrom turns to face the goalie, or take a hand off the stick, they'll be liable for Unsportsmanlike or goalie interference? Will it mean the league instructing its referees to turn a blind-eye to goalies and defence-men hacking, slashing and cross-checking forwards in the crease, all of which actions actually are illegal? Good luck with this one.
  24. Logic is full of Epic Win from Canada writes: >>>Frank Smith from Canada writes: Agreed "Logic" that no one knows what Avery was thinking ... and give Brodeur credit for not taking the bait. Give Avery 2 minutes as Chadwick suggested and, when the Devils score on the ensuing power play, Avery's antics will get addressed very quickly by Shanhan et al in the Rangers' dressing room. <<<

    2 minutes for high sticking I guess should be the minimum for the behaviour. But how will the NHL re-write the high sticking rule?

    http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule61.html
    Rule 61 High Sticks - rewritten
    "A player (especially if your name is Avery) may not swing his stick in a fashion that makes him appear to be gymnast, a conductor or a marching band major while on the ice in a hockey uniform. If however, player chooses to strip naked except his skates, he may proceed at his own peril and discomfort."

    But seriously... I wonder if they even need to rewrite or just make a slight change in the referee useguides to make it a penalty.
  25. Frank Smith from Canada writes: "The violence of this game is a direct result of these types of players not being held accountable for their action ...". Huh?!?! Isn't the violence of the game ALL ABOUT holding players accountable?
  26. Norman Petit from Calgary, Canada writes: Simply call goaltender interference. Unsportsmanlike conduct works, too. In fact, if a Ranger had taken Avery down and incurred a fine, I would have dropped a ten spot into the hat if they'd passed it around at intermission.

    To translate this into another sport - not even the least talented forward would dream of pulling a stunt like this in a professional soccer league. They would be pulled from the game, benched and reprimanded by both the team and league.

    Hockey can be as beautiful to watch as soccer - it speaks volumes about where the sport has gone in the last couple of decade when this type of behaviour is considered acceptable. I laugh out loud when I think about what Bobby Clarke, Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe or Bobby Hull would have done to a clown like Avery.
  27. steven cooke from Toronto, Canada writes: It is long past due that the league do something about the odious creature known as Sean Avery. He is an embarassment to the game, if not the human race. Better that the league and its officials take care of him than someone decides to use frontier justice to teach him a lesson. He has no honour and no class. Let's not forget the list of other indiscretions towards a Black player and to a cancer survivor amongst others. I would also hold the candle to Tom Renney. In case you've forgotten: he was the one who after Mark Messier sadistically speared a hockey player not only condoned but celebrated his assault describing it that of a wily veteran teaching a young player how it's done. I suppose the same argument could have been made of gang leaders in our cities settling a score (though Messier's actions were pre-emptive rather than reactive). I am happy to see that Ron Maclean and Kelly Hrudey and now Gary Bettman recognize that there is no room in the sport for the sort of behaviour exhibited by Avery against Brodeur and throughout his career. It is one thing to use speed, skill and toughness to upset another player; to flout the rules and disprect the sport and its players is another. Let's suspend him and Renney. The sport and its fans will be the beneficiary.
  28. B Fulsom from Menlo Park, United States writes: By the way, did they ever change the rules to prevent players from aiming for the goaltender's head in shoot-outs?
  29. Cowtown boy from Calgary, Canada writes: M Warren from Ottawa, Canada writes: Avery was an innovator on this one. There was nothing illegal done. It was interesting & funny.

    This is why hockey won't ever be popular in the US. There was nothing funny about a professional athlete trying to goad someone into violence with a complete childish act. I was cheering for the Rangers in this series but now I just hope the rest of their games goe into quadruple overtime and it takes a seven game series to decide. That will ensure that neither team goes much farther.

    Avery is once again showing that a common house plant has a larger IQ than him.
  30. Norman Petit from Calgary, Canada writes: Sorry - in my last post I meant to say "if a Devil's player had taken Avery down".
  31. Lyn Alg from Canada writes: What no one is aware of is the fact that Avery is a diabetic and, perhaps, he was having one of his 'diabetic fits' in front of Brodeur. I'm sure it wasn't intentional.
  32. Devil Bud from T.O., Canada writes: Steven Cooke.....A little dramatic don't you think? First off, how many points does Avery have these playoffs? How many points does Avery average every year? The guy may be a pest, but that is why he is so effective. Not only is he one of the best pests in the league, he is also an all-around good player. He is not like the Chris Neils/Chris Simons of the league who go around flouting all the rules, while at the same time contributing nothing else to their team. Those that keep on saying ridiculous things about how Avery should be suspended, taken out, blah, blah...would probably rather see everything from hitting to fighting taken out of hockey. The game is a tough game, full of tough guys. Those that can't handle it, shoudn't be in the NHL. Those who don't like it, can't go watch ringette.
  33. andy c from Canada writes: the reason why no one has done this before is because no one seems willing or stupid enough to take a puck to the backside or other parts of the body. the first hard slapper he takes off his body he'll think twice before turing his back to the play
  34. Phil M from Canada writes: As much as I loathe Avery, in context, I'll take this newfangled brand of goonish antics over the targeted maiming of star players in playoffs past. This is a new NHL; in the past, guys like Avery would've been sent out to injure a star goalie like Brodeur who was capable of winning games all by himself. Instead, now Sean does creative screening in a power-play situation. In all, a goal getting scored in 5-3 shouldn't be news.
  35. Dave Miller from Canada writes: If there was no instigator rule then someone would have beat some respect into him they both would have gone to the box and no one would be talking about it today.

    As it were, the Devil's--down 2 games in the series and down two players in the game--the last thing they wanted to do was get so easily duped into a penalty.
  36. Rick and T.C. from Canada writes: Avery is an embarassment to the game, antics like these only cheapen the sport. I agree with Ron and Kelly, a penalty should have been called for this. Although this tactic could be successful, it truly is unsportsmanlike and should not be part of NHL hockey.
  37. Howard Citrin from Canada writes: Does no one else find it funny that in a sport that tolerates fighting, hits from behind and touch icing, it is some guy waving his arms in front of a goaltender that everyone finds an embarrassment.
  38. Cosmo Kramer from Canada writes: Avery is a joke plain and simple. Yes his role is a pest and there are many players in the NHL who take on this role and do it without crossing the line. There are too many hacks who call themselves hockey fans. Just look through the comments posted here "I thought it was funny” GET A LIFE. It's not funny its sad that for someone to stay competitive they have to do something like that. Did you ever see this kind of crap 10 years ago? NO because if you did you were going to get nailed. The NHL went from a contact sport to something that resembles badminton. Do you see these kinds of ridiculous changes in baseball, basketball, and football? The whole ploy of the new NHL was for a larger fan base. Hockey seemed to be fine until teams started popping up in towns where people didn't even know what hockey is. What are next bigger nets, smaller pads? Soon it&8217;s not even going to be called hockey.
  39. dale spinx from Canada writes: its creative, until you take a slap shot to the back to the knee..then its just stupid.
  40. Matt Goulet from winnipeg, Canada writes: I don't think anyone would have begruged Brodeur had he taken his stick or blocker hand to Avery, instigator or not.
  41. sam themacman from Waterloo, Canada writes: Having played goal as a kid, I well remember the irritation of someone acting beyond the norm to distract me for a shot. Most of the time I had defencemen knock the culprit almost into the next world! Too bad Brodeur did not have a defenceman manhandle Avery. The only thing that will remove Avery is someone taking him on, and maybe that is what is needed. To wait for the NHL to do something, or the officials on the ice may take an ice age before it gets done.

    BTW, the officiating has sucked during the play offs. When are they going to be as consistent as they were during the year????
  42. JIm Smith from Canada writes: Awesome play by Avery.

    The NHL has created an atmosphere where you can do anything on the ice without repercussions. 4 years ago just standing in front of the next would land you on your butt. Now you can do anything you want in front of the net.

    The NHL made their own bed on this one. Great play, considering how soft the NHL has become.

    No NJ player laid a finger on him so it couldn't have been that bad.
  43. Kevin Dooley from Canada writes: What I don't understand is what the D or the goalie is supposed to do about a screen. You're not allowed to touch the guy if he doesn't have the puck, so what can you do defensively? W R from Stratford thinks that the goalies have all the advantages here and that we need to allow aggressive screening, I take the opposite view that goalies have absolutely no recourse. I mean, technically, Carey Price punching at the Boston forward who was crowding him last night was illegal as well. The forward is allowed to be completely inside the blue ice as long as he's not actually touching the goalie, and the goalie isn't allowed to do anything to push him back out. And even if he is touching the goalie, actively impeding him, it only gets called as interference a tiny fraction of the time. Fortunately the refs tend to ignore these little altercations, but really, what's a goalie supposed to do?

    My solution? An inner and an outer crease. The outer crease is 1m outside of the current blue ice. Then the standard interference rules don't apply in this zone. Simple.
  44. Henry Allen from East Bank, Don River, Canada writes:
    Well folks, looks to me like the New Jersey Devils really miss Scott Stevens. If Stevens was still playing, Avery wouldn't be doing that waving routine in front of Brodeur for long. Soon after he started, Avery would be on his pants trying to remember his own name.
  45. Ed Op from Canada writes: Effective technique and almost clever, but not in the spirit of the game. I play a bit of beer league hockey and even though there's no fighting, no hitting and we all generally get along, if some tool did this, he'd be a marked man in our friendly little league. Definitely wouldn't be anyone's bud at the bar afterwards.

    I think it makes the NHL look foolish. Almost makes you want to see a return to the bad old days Cherry loves so much. Avery wouldn't survive this kind of ridiculous behaviour back then. Someone would have dealt with him old school.

    Even today, I'd like to see him try it 5 on 4 or even strength. See how long it lasts.
  46. R Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: Sean Avery is an embarassment to the league, and apparently some (granted not all) Leaf fans want him on their team next year...

    How fitting is that?
  47. R Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: Both Kelly Hrudey and Ron MacLean's analysis was spot on with respect to Sean Avery doing the macarena with an unwilling Martin Brodeur last night...

    He should have definitely got a penalty. Had he been on the Gong show, he would have definitely been "Gonged."

    Hopefully, the Devils will find some motivation from his antics !!

    Nova Scotia's Colin White should not be looking the other way from that kind of dance again...

    Cheers.
  48. Willard Kurtz from Toronto, Canada writes: Why doesn't Tiger yell "NOONAN!!!" when Mickelson is about to putt or Overbay chant "No batter! he can't hit! he can't hit! no batter!"when he's at 1st...because they're grown men in professional sports. Whether it's in the rule book or not, there's a code in each game and you don't violate certain key tenets of professional conduct towards your opponent. Avery is a complete lowlife idiot and just when you think you've made the rulebook idiot-proof someone goes and builds a bigger idiot. The league is doing the right thing and any poster who believes otherwise needs serious work on their sense of honour and self-respect.
  49. aniphylactic shock troops from Victoria, Canada writes: Maclean and Hrudey, like Grapes, are hockey conservatives from the 19th century, where The Code is the only thing that matters, "old-time hockey," blah, blah, blah.

    Because Grapes wears the loud suits and sputters his nonsense with the most volume, his pencil-necked sidekick flies under the radar with his self-important, "when I ref Midget Triple C" irrelevancies.

    Nobody cares what you think, Pinhead. You're a haircut in a CBC suit.
  50. aniphylactic shock troops from Victoria, Canada writes: Kurtz writes: any poster who believes otherwise needs serious work on their sense of honour and self-respect.

    Spazzing in front of the goalie: two minutes
    Driving an opponent head-first into the boards, causing a massive concussion and 72 games lost to injury: two minutes.

    It's the "sense of honour and self-respect" that people such as you hold that get us involved in stupid wars like Afghanistan which, not coincidentally, is another one of that Cro-Magnon tag-team's pet projects, judging by the constant parade of dead VOLUNTEER soldiers on HNIC every first intermission.
  51. Bryan Bolan from Canada writes: there's nothing creative or smart about this play. he's a total idiot performing an idiot play. he looks like a tool!
    not even kenny "the rat" linsmen would do something like that.
    Maclean was bang on, he should have received a 10 minute misconduct. now some 10 year in house league is going to do this, and he'll think it's cool.
  52. Mac - GLG from Canada writes: There is a rule to cover this dumb move by Avery but it didn't get called. You could also ad a 2 min. unsportsmanlike.

    Shannahan was just sticking up for his team mate in a public forum. He probably gave it to Avery in the room.
  53. R Miller from Halifax, Canada writes: I hope Shanahan did teach his moronic teammate Avery some manners... Otherwise, he too can spare his lectures for junior players that he considers "hot dogs..."

    Strange things seem to happen to NHLers when one decides to take on a class act, grade A talent like Martin Brodeur... just ask Aaron Downey...

    BTW What ever happened to that guy after his very public lecture on how he thinks that NHL stars should play hockey?

    Would love to see Marty come back to burn Avery and the Rangers in this series...

    Brodeur is a class act and proven winner. Avery is just a proven weiner !
  54. jerry macintyre from KITCHENER, Canada writes: WOW,this is just another reason why hockey is in decline,not only with the viewing public but in minor leagues as well.Each sport has an unwritten code of conduct players don,t need referees to make calls they have a responsibility to each other and to the integrity of the game.What took place with Avery was an embarrassment .
  55. Babbleon ! from Canada writes: WWF comes to hockey!
  56. Jason Mote from Toronto, writes: Well now that the NHL took away the ability for defensemen to clear the crease, clowns like Avery get away with this crap.
  57. dan vanman from vancouver, Canada writes: How can posters like Frank Smith and "shock troops" even come down on the side of Avery? I agree he's a good player, more than a pest, but those actions displayed last night were shameful.

    They violate the spirit of the game, and are unsportsmanlike. Thats what the NHL said today...two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

    Anyone that played the game would agree with me, and not Frank.

    I can only assume Frank has never played. Same with "shock troops".

    Its indefensible guys. It was wrong. Bettman's quick response was one of the few right things he has done.

    The reason you've never seen that before? Because no one besides Avery would stoop so low. They respect the game.

    Avery obviously does not.
  58. W R from Stratford, PE, Canada writes: Kevin Dolley I agree with your views of players in the crease. What bugs me is that players can't check/knock down a goalie once they leave their crease. To me once they do they are just a sixth player and should be fair game for the opposition. If they don't want to get hit then stay in the crease. Right now the goaltender has too many advantages.
  59. I. Con O'Clast from Canada writes: A sport where concussions are routine, where back alley behaviour has a long, honourable history, where violence is encouraged, where retaliation and intimidation is ingrained in the culture, where "standing up" is applauded, where hits that "take out" a top player are recognized as part of the game - and everybody gets their knickers in a twist because an animated, creative, bonzo does a non-contact dance in front of a goalie. He obviously should have simply elbowed Brodeur in the teeth and the sanctity of the game would not have suffered. Or, some other player should have done what Avery did and it would have been applauded for its creativity.
  60. The Seeker from Toronto, Canada writes: I. Con O'Clast from Canada writes: "and everybody gets their knickers in a twist because an animated, creative, bonzo does a non-contact dance in front of a goalie. He obviously should have simply elbowed Brodeur in the teeth and the sanctity of the game would not have suffered. Or, some other player should have done what Avery did and it would have been applauded for its creativity."

    Whatever poindexter...Animated, creative bozo? Are you kidding me? Poor Avery - he's really just a misunderstood Lady Byng winner - why is everyone picking on this animated, creative bozo?
  61. I. Con O'Clast from Canada writes: Whatever, seeker, er, Felix.
  62. Richard Daystrom from Toronto, Canada writes: Marty should have tried to shoo that pest away and whoops!!!! I'm sorry Sean, I know you wear a cup but it was a slip of the stick and I didn't mean to club you in the groin.
  63. Kevin Dooley from Canada writes: W R from Stratford - I'll go along with that. According to the current rules the blue ice is essentially meaningless. The goalie can leave the area without consequence, other players can enter it without consequence. So it has no meaning.
  64. Frank Smith from Canada writes: Gee "dan" ... your suggested penalty of 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct is EXACTLY what I said in my previous posts. I can only assume that you didn't read my posts.

    I don't defend Avery but he's doing exactly what he's paid to do ... that's the point danny-boy. And by the way, yes, I have played the game ... regardless, trotting out that approach to counter an opposing argument is old and tired.
  65. K S from Toronto, Canada writes: Sure it was funny, because it was so childish. He's playing professional hockey, i.e. he's supposed to act professional. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, a 10 minute misconduct, and perhaps a fine to take back some of his "professional" earnings.
  66. dan vanman from vancouver, Canada writes: Frank...I said the league has come out and said that is what it will be now...thats all.

    If you played the game Frank, than you should have been outraged. It was something never seen before, because most hockey players have honour, unlike your boy Avery.

    Ron Mclean , being an ex-referee, took offence, and doesn't warrant your "arrogant" remark.

    Avery isn't paid to do that, he's paid to play hockey on the edge. That went over the edge.

    The only thing that is old and tired is your childish response. Read MY posts, and you'll see that I mentioned the league, not my suggestion. BTW its Dan...not danny boy...I used your proper name, show the same respect.
  67. Frank Smith from Canada writes: I feel appropriately berated DAN!
  68. Frank Smith from Canada writes: What's your hockey experience DAN!!
  69. Frank Smith from Canada writes: Hey DAN ... did you hear what Joe Thornton, a real hockey player said ... "I think it's great, innovative" ... a real hockey player DAN.

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